The North Atlantic Treaty Organization now includes many former Warsaw Pact states, including Poland, Hungary and the Baltic states.

Last week, the Ukrainian foreign minister requested that the country be considered for membership, but on Saturday Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said that the issue should be put to a referendum. Russia has also warned that it would take "appropriate measures" if Ukraine becomes a NATO member.

The poll found that almost 52 percent of respondents agreed with the proposition that NATO is "aggressive" and "imperialistic." A spokeswoman for Democratic Initiatives said that many of those who oppose membership are concerned about Ukraine's relationship with Russia.